A New Life: Chapter 22: I've Got Somebody to Love
by betterthings89
Summary: This saga is about the lives of the children of Lilly&Oliver and their friends children too. This chapter is about Jim's first visit home from college, a new relationship, and an uneasy discovery. Please leave reviews!


_* I hope you like this! __**Please leave reviews**__!_

**A New Life**

**-Chapter 22: I've Got Somebody To Love–**

Jim hadn't had the chance to make it home over the Thanksgiving break. So when he we got home in a few minutes for winter vacation, it would be the first time he'd seen his family and friends in person for about five months. He was growing impatient as the train he was riding made yet another stop. He had received over a dozen calls from Sam asking him where he was since he had boarded the train in Los Angeles. There had been at least twice that number of calls from Alice. So most of the ride had been spent telling them he was on his way and there was nothing he could do to get there any faster. But that didn't seem to make the calls come any less frequently. He didn't mind this, for if they didn't keep it up he would know something was wrong. One reason that motivated their calls was something neither of them had said directly, but Jim knew there was something they wanted or possibly needed to tell him. As the train pulled closer, on its magnetic rail, to Jim's stop, he pulled on a cold weather jacket to prepare for the hostile temperature that would great him when he stepped onto the platform. Moments later when train screeched to a smooth stop Jim collected his suitcase and moved out onto the platform with all the other passengers. He had figured on having to search for his friends who were waiting for him eagerly. But alas they had already found him. Alice bounded toward him, wearing a pink cap and other cold weather apparel that only made her look cuter. She made it to him in a split second and wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug.

"I missed you so much Jim. There's so much to talk about. I can hardly wait." Alice exclaimed happily.

"Good to see you Jim, how's _your_ college life been so far?" Sam said, giving Jim a one-armed hug.

"It's unbelievable. I have to tell you guys all about it. Sounded like you guys had something you wanted to talk about. Wanna spill it now?"

"Not right now. It's no big deal. It can wait. There's somebody else that's been waiting to see you." Alice replied, a little awkwardly. Just then Mike came up and hugged Jim. At that very moment Jim noticed something, something peculiar but not unexpected.

"Michael, we're the same height! Can you believe it?" Jim exclaimed.

"Umm, actually I'm half an inch taller than you Jimmy." Mike corrected him. Jim took a good look at his brother from head to toe.

"You know what? I think you might be right. Way to go little bro!" Jim patted Mike on the shoulder. When they reached the parking lot of the train station Jim loaded his suitcase into the trunk of Alice's car and they headed for the Oken house. On the way they made conversation.

"So Michael how's it going with you and you girlfriend? Kate, right?" Jim asked, interested.

"She's cool, she came to all my fall practice games, and she said she'll come to the real ones in the spring." Mike answered.

"That's cool. I remember you guys came to most of my track meets." Jim said to Alice and Sam, who for some reason hesitated to respond and looked at each other uncomfortably.

"Yeah…that's true…track meets…" Sam stammered.

"Okay, what's going on with you two?" Jim demanded from the back seat, next to his brother.

"It's nothing we need to talk about right now, trust me Jim, it's not." Alice informed him.

"I'm just letting you know, I'll get it out of one of you eventually. The one with the weaker will." Jim told them, indicating Sam with his eyes. This only made the unease become more apparent.

"So Michael, how's it going with that thing we talked about? It's been a while since you told me anything about it." Jim said breaking the forced silence.

"I thought we were gonna keep that between you and me and mom and dad?" Mike said, perturbed.

"We are, Sam and Alice won't say anything, you can trust them. Right guys?" Jim asked, intentionally asking them things to try to break them down and get them to reveal whatever it was they were hiding from him.

"Right."

"Of course." Alice intoned. They both sounded like something was dying to get out.

"So, what's the story on that front Michael?" Jim asked once more.

"I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of it. I'm almost a hundred and thirty pounds now."

"That's up from one oh eight? How close is almost?"

"One twenty-two." Mike said, a sheepish smile on the right side of his face.

"That's what I thought. But you're making good progress. That's what counts."

When they pulled up to the house Jim could see his family through the frosty windows. He lugged his suitcase in through the front door and the rest of them followed in behind him. As Mike pulled off his jacket Jim noticed that he had indeed started to reach a healthier and less risky weight. On the other hand when he pulled his jacket off and began to place it in the closet his mother made an observation along the same lines.

"Jimmy have you been eating? Please tell me this isn't what it looks like." Lilly commented in a wholly indiscreet manner.

"I don't know mom, what does it look like?" Jim said, feigning ignorance.

"It looks like my baby hasn't been eating enough. Have you been taking your insulin? You know I have to deal with this when it comes to your brother and your dad, but you…I've never had to worry with you!" Lilly said worriedly.

"It's not that mom. I know I've dropped a few pounds, but that's okay."

"No it's not okay; I don't want you wasting away on me."

"I'm not mom; it's only a little weight I could've stood to lose anyway. I'm just not a big fan of the food in the dining hall, and I've been really busy studying." Jim replied, hoping his excuse would be accepted. And to his disbelief, his mother reluctantly surrendered the argument.

"Fine, but you have to make sure it stops, okay?"

"I will mom, I will."

A girl stood up beside Alice and spoke up.

"So when are you two gonna introduce me to your _best_ friend?" She said to Alice and Sam.

"Okay then," Sam said, "Jim this is Ellie Jones, she's a friend of ours from school, she's staying with Alice over the holidays cause her family is in Florida and she can't get down there right now. Ellie this is Jim Oken, the smartest guy I know."

"Nice to meet you Jim," Ellie said shacking his hand, "He's a hunk Alice, good job."

"Thanks El, he's all mine, remember that." Alice replied.

"Oh, for sure. So since he's so smart, I'm guessing he's already onto Sam and your little secret?" Ellie asked unknowingly.

"No, he doesn't know. He knows something's up, but he doesn't know what." Alice said, irritated.

"Okay guys, time to tell me what's going on." Jim insisted.

"Okay, but let's do this outside." Alice told him.

"Fine, let's go, this better be good, it's freezing out there." Jim said, grudgingly. He, Sam and Alice all put their coats back on and walked out into the back.

"So what's the big secret you two have been choking on ever since the ride here?" Jim inquired.

"Umm, I don't know how you're gonna take this… we wanted to figure out how to make it right before we came forward with it…so." Sam muttered.

"Well you could start by telling me what it is." Jim repeated himself.

"Promise you won't get mad?" Sam pleaded.

"I'll try. I don't usually overreact." Jim responded.

"Uhh, you reacted to Andy Corelli cheating off your test by punching him in the face." Sam reminded him.

"Yeah, that was six years ago. I'm a totally different person now. So give it a shot, okay?"

"I don't know how you're gonna take this…but here it goes…Sam and I accidently kissed." Alice blurted out.

"Come again?" Jim said in disbelief.

"I'm sorry Jim, really it didn't mean anything." Sam said desperately.

"I can't believe this. You promised, Alice." Jim said under his breath.

"I know, and I am so sorry. It was an honest mistake. We where both up studying and we got tired and it just happened. Can you forgive me? Please?" Alice said, almost begging.

"You know what? Yeah, I can forgive you. You know why, cause that's the kind of guy I am. And besides that I owe you for letting go of it when you where mad at me for all that fighting. I believe you both. It was an accident. I can just pretend it never even happened. Just promise me this: it's never ever ever gonna happen again, right?"

"Of course not. I love you Jim, I would never step out on you."

"Me neither Jim. I mean the part about not kissing her again. Not the stepping out thing, cause we never dated…I'm gonna stop talking now." Sam said, stuttering a little.

"Okay, fine that's settled, now let's get inside before we all catch a cold or something." Jim said, turning without acknowledgement from either them, and going back inside.

When they got back inside Mike was placing a book in his back pack. He smiled as Jim sat down.

"Oh yeah, that's right, you don't get out of school till next week do you Michael?"

"Nope, so I have to go tomorrow. But I wanna hear all about college when I get home, okay?"

"Of course, that's the plan. I swear, the next time I come home you'll probably be two inches _taller_ than me."

"Could be. See ya tomorrow." Mike said, he headed upstairs. Just then Rose came in the front door.

"Hey, Jim. I missed you so much." She said wrapping him in a cold hug.

"Where have you been all this time young lady." Oliver demanded of Rose.

"Me and Alex where studying for end of the year tests over at his house."

"Studying? Is that what they call reading the text book for three minutes, looking into your boyfriend's eyes and kissing him, and then reading the book some more, nowadays?" Oliver said sarcastically.

"No, we were really studying. We both want good grade…no really!" Rose insisted, even though her explanation obviously wasn't being bought.

The next day when Mike and his friends left the school building, Mike walked hand in hand with his girlfriend Kate. Robbie walked along in tow. And Susan and Charlie walked beside them. When Mike and Kate broke from the group to go to his house, the rest of them made their way in the other direction. This was until Robbie made it to his house and now it was just Susan and Charlie.

"So, Susan what kind of stuff do they do in Tennessee for the holidays?" Charlie wondered out loud.

"I wouldn't know, I'm from California." Susan laughed. She reached a hand over and gave him a playful shove. He smiled warmly, and laughed a little. His laugh was infectious, as was his smile. It had always been this way with Charlie, no matter whom it was they would say the same thing.

"You know I was thinkin'…" Susan started.

"Uh-oh, Susan's thinking again, alert the media!" Charlie teased her with another soul melting smile that only came more naturally to him all the time.

"Well fine I won't tell you what it was." Susan said, pretending to be upset.

"Alright, I'll be nice. Go ahead and tell me. Please?" Charlie said, acting cute with her now.

"Okay, here's what I was thinking…" She said, Charlie waited for the rest of her sentence, but it never came. What did come was something entirely unexpected. Susan moved quickly and kissed Charlie on the lips lightly as if trying him out for size. Charlie smiled so brightly at her, when she pulled away, that one would think the temperature around them went up by ten degrees.

"I'm not sure I heard you…could you repeat that…you said you where thinking what?" Charlie said, being silly but at the same time realizing he was serious about what was now happening. This time they both came together and kissed by way of interlocking their lips and closing their eyes as the cold air whisked around them.

"Very well put Susan." Charlie said, still acting cheeky. But Susan didn't mind, it made her perception of him being cute even greater than before. Shortly after, they both took a few moments to digest what had just occurred, and then they turned and continued walking home together. Somewhere along the way Charlie's mitten incased hand found its way around Susan's and that is where it stayed until they reached Susan's house. There she turned and they kissed goodbye, and their hands drifted apart. Charlie then made his way home, with a smile that for all he knew could be permanent, but this was his way, he was an eternal optimist, nothing got in the way of that no matter what. He chuckled a little because he was quite sure he could hear a whooping coming from Susan's house that must have come from her soon to be stepfather Richard who had been taking a more active and sometimes unwanted interest in her life recently.

That evening Jim was with Sam, Alice and Ellie. They were sitting around the fireplace in the Oken living room, laughing, sharing stories of college with Jim's family. The stories they found the most entertaining where the ones of Jim's roommate McCoy and all his aspirations to be a 'good ole country doctor'. After a while they were all getting quite restless. Rose and Alex had been together all day. It was clear to everyone around them how in love the two of them where. The atmosphere they gave off was contagious. Joy was in the holiday air.

"I have an idea, we can go out and just walk around." Alice suggested. Jim and Sam cringed at the mention of having to brave the elements. Ellie on the other hand was not as used to cold weather as they where and therefore she was not aware of how hostile the cold was.

"Ellie wants to see Malibu a little." Alice told them after they both gave her looks that said _'Do we have to?'_

"Can't she wait till summer and see it then?" Sam complained.

"No, we're here now. Let's go." Alice commanded. They obediently followed her out in winter coats and gloves.

"I can see my breath Alice, do we really have to?" Sam whined some more. His grievance fell on deaf ears as they walked toward the deserted board walk.

"So that's the beach, we do a lot of surfing there. I guess that's just something most people in Malibu do." Alice informed Ellie as they passed the beach. They approached a line of restaurants close to the pier.

"So that's where we go to eat a lot. Lots of good choices." Alice continued. They made their way down around the board walk of the pier and stopped near the underside near some support beams.

"And this is where Jim and I first kissed." Alice said, giving Jim an affectionate look.

"Wow, it must be fun living here. No Alligators and no hurricanes." Ellie commented.

"Yeah, well we get earthquakes. There's a funny story about me and Jim involving an earthquake, but that's for another time." Alice told her.

"You know Sam, with all this beach scenery; I'm surprised you don't have a girlfriend from around here." Ellie said to Sam.

"I did, but we broke it off before we left for college. We didn't think it would work too well, what with being so far apart and what not." Sam replied.

"Yeah, in Florida there's not a lot of guys to choose from. Mostly just old people. So I say who needs a boyfriend, right?" Ellie chuckled. A gust of icy cold wind burst around them, nearly knocking them off their feet.

"Yeah, that's right, I don't need a girlfriend. What are they good for anyway?" Sam agreed. Alice stepped up beside Sam and whispered to him.

"I'll show you what they're good for," Alice said so Jim couldn't hear her, "Jimmy I'm cold!" She said in a demeanor he found irresistibly cute.

"You're cold? Come here and let me make it better." Jim said, he pulled her in tight and wrapped his arms around her, encompassing her as much as he could. "There, feel better sweetheart?" Jim asked caringly.

"Much!" She said to him.

"That's what they're good for. Or at least that's what boyfriends are good for." Alice turned her head sideways, and spoke to Sam.

"Trust me you're good for something here too Alice." Jim told her.

"Oh, really, what's that?"

"Someone to be close to, someone to love."

"That's true we both have somebody to love."

"Yup, I've got you and you've got me. That's what boyfriends and girlfriends are good for: somebody to love." Jim smiled happily down at Alice.

"I'm cold too Sam." Ellie said. Sam walked over to her.

"Well here, I can help…turns out we were wrong." Sam said as he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her midsection, and perched his chin on her shoulder.

"Let's try out being wrong together Sam, what d'ya say?" Ellie asked massaging his gloved hands.

"Sure, it couldn't hurt. We can get coffee at this place just off campus when we get back…sorry I'm cold, can't help thinking about warm things."

"You know neither me or Alice was actually cold. We just wanted you two to warm us up." Ellie revealed.

"I knew that all along. Alice is adorable like that." Jim said, and then quickly tried to cover himself. "Oops, we're not supposed to know that. That's the way girls like it."

"It's true." Alice admitted.

Jim thought to himself. His life was still what he wanted it to be. When he thought of how things were going with college and how things where right now with Alice, he realized life was good.

A week later Susan and Charlie where walking along the street which was now covered in snow due to a storm the night before, a storm that was still taking place, in a much tamer form. They considered this to be a date. It was their one week anniversary and since school was out, there was nothing stopping them from spending time together. As they enjoyed their walk together there was one thing Susan could not shake about Charlie present behavior.

"Would you stop wiping your nose? If you have a cold we should go inside." Susan said forcefully.

"I'm fine, I don't have a cold. My nose is just cold, don't wanna get an icicle on it, that wouldn't be fun would it?" Charlie said, trying to be funny. Susan wasn't particularly amused.

"Very funny Charlie! You've been acting weird all day. And you're dang sure gonna tell me what it is!" Susan fired at him.

"I promise you it's nothing. I think I'm just a little tired. That's all, don't worry." Charlie insisted.

"Okay, fine. But seeing as we're dating you're gonna hafta stop coming around with snot covered gloves." Susan poked him in the side. It turned out she had found a place where he was ticklish. He double down and laughed out loud, a huge smile on his face, clutching his stomach.

"I didn't tickle you that hard, geez."

"I know, it's just the way I am, when somebody is that way with me."

"You mean when somebody's being silly and messing around with you?"

"Yeah, I act even sillier, it's just a reflex."

"I like it; you're cute inside and outside."

"You're not hard to look at yourself. And speaking of cute, all the country expressions you picked up from your dad…golden."

"Thanks, people don't usually complement me on things like that." Susan thanked him. Charlie was known for complementing people for anything and everything, it was always welcomed. He was nice to everyone he encountered. That was why he was so likeable. Everyone in a room could be having the worst day, and if Charlie walked in it would turn around one hundred and eighty degrees. If the end of the world was tomorrow, Charlie would still be in an upbeat mood that was infectious.

"So you don't think Mike will mind us…you know…dating?" Charlie asked diplomatically.

"Mike…why would he care? He's got a girlfriend, remember?"

"Yeah, but you know, everybody always thought you and he would end up together. You knew that, right?"

"Yeah, I thought that at one point. Don't tell anybody, but I used to have a huge crush on him. I always thought we'd end up together too. It all started when he brought his twenty-four pack of markers to school in kindergarten."

"So what changed? I mean you two are still really close friends and all."

"Are you trying to talk yourself out of dating me?" Susan remarked sarcastically.

"No, not at all. I was just curious."

"What changed was, I met you. And you've always seemed to bring the best out of everyone around you. I like that about you."

"I never really thought about it like that."

"See that's the thing, you carry this ray of light with you, and you do all these things that make everybody around you happy, and you don't even realize it. That's why it's you and not Mike."

"I guess ever since I was in the hospital, I've always known I had to take the 'glass half full' approach. I learned I can't let anything bring me down cause if I do then where am I gonna be? If I see everything from the best point of view, then I'm always in a good place, even if things get bad."

"I wish more people where like you."

"Thanks, I don't know what to say."

"You could, with all the snow around us, it's so beautiful out here, you could ask me to dance. I know it sounds stupid but…"

"It's not stupid; I think it's a wonderful idea. So, will you? You know dance with me?" Charlie asked, as suggested.

"Yes, I would love that Charlie." Susan replied. They pulled each other closer and placed their hands in the proper positions and began to dance, with the snow lightly whipping around them. It wasn't exactly dancing it was more like gliding around together in the snow, but they didn't mind. They both smiled happily at each other with ear to ear grins. It was totally silent around them, there were no cars because the streets where all blocked up with snow, and there were no other people around. So it was peaceful, blissful silence as they danced together amid the falling snow, all that could be heard was the faint rushing sound of wind, and shuffling of their feet. As they got comfortable their cheeks came to rest against one another's, as they lay their chins on each other's shoulders. It was unlike any other experience they had ever had together. Normally they where bustling about loudly on the baseball field, or surfing at the beach, or something else with friends. This was a new and wonderful thing for them. Charlie looked up into Susan's eyes and broke the cold silence.

"You know, you look so beautiful." Charlie said, smiling warmly.

"You're the cutest boy I know Charlie, how's that for a compliment?"

"Can't beat it, you know I thought maybe…maybe…" But Charlie couldn't finish the sentence. Suddenly he lost all energy in his body. His legs gave out under him, and he became deadweight against Susan's body before he slumped down on his back in the snow. There was blood in his open mouth and under his nose. Susan quickly realized it had not been a cold causing him to wipe his nose, it was blood, and that was what was on his gloves. Everything was happening so quickly. She shook him but he didn't move at all. He was unconscious and his breathing was shallow. It was eminently clear to Susan that something was horribly wrong. Due to her greater height, she was able to use enough leverage to lift Charlie off the ground and carry him to whatever salvation she could find for him. She ended up running with him to the Okens' house, which was fairly close by. She went inside without knocking and as soon as they saw her Jim sprang into action.

"What happened?" Jim demanded.

"He…just collapsed. We were just…walking along and then all of a sudden he just sand bagged onto the ground. You've gotta do something!" Susan exclaimed frantically.

"Alright I'll take him to the hospital. I can't do anything myself. Dad, can I take your car?"

"Sure thing." Oliver said, tossing his keys to Jim.

"Alright carry him into the back seat and hold him still till we get there." Jim instructed her. She obeyed without a word.

"We'll be there as soon as we can." Oliver told Jim, who was already half way out the door. He and Susan sped to the hospital in silence, Charlie's unmoving body slumped across her lap. When they got to the emergency room entrance a nurse admitted him immediately. They placed Charlie on a gurney and the nurse rushed him out of sight immediately. By the time they got him out of the lab testing room and into a room in the Intensive Care Unit, Charlie's family as well as all of the Okens and all of the Stewarts where waiting for him in his room. He was groggy looking and didn't appear to be in as bad a shape as he had been earlier.

"He's just a little hazy from the drugs we gave him. You all can talk to him if you'd like." The doctor said.

"Hey Charlie, you alright?" Susan asked quietly, at his side.

"I'm great, I'll be back in no time." Charlie said weakly.

"This kid's a fighter. He's still not down even with what he's facing." The doctor said to Charlie's parents.

"So what happened? Cold, right?" Susan said with a smile. Charlie wasn't smiling when he answered her.

"My cancer's back." He told her. Everyone showed signs of shock.

"How bad is it? What are his chances?" Charlie's mother asked the doctor.

"He's in for a tough fight, his chances are not the best. It's stage three. So I can't tell you if he'll survive or not."

After a long conversation with the doctor, they all gathered around Charlie and offered their support.

"I'll make it, I'm a survivor, I'll be fine." He said.

"We know, but you have to know, we're all here for you and we all love you." Susan told him. He smiled and assured them he was still just was optimistic as ever.

_**Notes to the readers:**_

***Reviews are much appreciated!**

**-This is not the final chapter. As I said, this will go past the ending of "Meant To Be". There are several chapters still left to come (2 or 3) before the end. **

**-I would like to thank any of the people that have stayed with this story all this time, and hope you will stay with it to the end. I have enjoyed writing this story, and hope anyone reading it enjoyed it too.**

_** This is the twenty-second chapter of my story "A New Life". If you haven't read my first saga you may not know where these characters are coming from. So you might want to read it, or at least "Meant to Be Parts 5-9". This story takes place before the end of "Meant To Be"._

_***Lilly and Oliver, and Miley and Jackson are in their thirties/forties. Jimmy is __**18. **__Rose is __**16. **__Michael and Susan (Miley's daughter), and Robbie Rod (Jackson's son) are __**14.**_

_****If you want to find my other stories (My first saga) click on my screen name on the top of this page, and you can find my stories on my profile. If you want to stay updated as to when I post new chapters, please subscribe to my username!_


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